Terry Stader, KA8SCP, made an excellent presentation about Emergency Communications (EmComm) at our April 30, 2025 meeting. He explained how radio amateurs assist with EmComm, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), Skywarn, and more.
Here is Terry’s presentation:
WARA held its holiday party at The Great Wall Restaurant in Bedford, MA for the second time on December 11, 2024. Good food, good company!
The WARA 146.64 MHz repeater now has a connection to EchoLink directly at the repeater site. Roger WA1NVC set up the new equipment, and installed it on December 10 with help from Tom KA1GXR and Eliot W1MJ. The procedure for making EchoLink connections from a radio using DTMF tones has changed – see About / Repeaters.
The 927.1375 MHz repeater now supports P25 digital voice as well as FM. See About / Repeaters.
Roger WA1NVC prepared the equipment for these updates, and installed it over two December site visits with help from Tom KA1GXR and Eliot W1MJ.
We continue to meet online only. This has been working out well, especially considering the geographic diversity of our membership.
At the May meeting, our very own Geno W1GNO will give a presentation, Introduction to Doppler Radio Direction Finding (RDF). Christine N1AUP will give an update on the club’s plans for Field Day on the summit of Mt. Wachusett.
Zoom Meeting Info
Time: Feb 28, 2024 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09&omn=89876257978
Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611
One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US
At the January 2024 WARA meeting, guest speaker Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, did a wonderful presentation on HF Mobile. Fred’s slide show is available here; it includes links to some excellent online resources for this aspect of ham radio.
The Waltham Amateur Radio Association held a Holiday Meetup on December 13. It was our first since 2019, and was also our first at Great Wall Restaurant in Bedford. Our old venue, Sichuan’s Garden in Waltham has closed.
It was nice seeing people in person that we normally only talk to over the club repeaters. In addition to nice food and conversation, we also had a raffle.
After a 3-year hiatus, we are excited to announce the Waltham Amateur Radio Association’s Holiday Meetup! It’s a chance to enjoy good food, great company, and share our passion for amateur radio.
Date: Wednesday , December 13, 2023
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Venue: Great Wall Restaurant, 609 Great Rd, Bedford, MA 01730
Cost: $32 per person (includes Chinese buffet and one ticket for the raffle)
(Cash bar available)
This is the perfect opportunity to meet other radio enthusiasts, swap stories, and maybe even win a prize in our raffle. Whether you’re a seasoned ham or new to the hobby, you’ll find a warm welcome.
Please RSVP to WARA Treasurer Rich Comer K1RBC by December 6th to help us plan accordingly.
The November 29 Waltham ARA meeting will be fully remote. W6BSD, Fred Cirera, has graciously offered to present again, this time on amateur radio folklore. In his presentation “Myths and Fairytales”, he involves the audience, asking them questions and requesting their thoughts on each slide. This can lead to some pretty interesting discussions.
Join us online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09
Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611
One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv
The October 25 Waltham ARA meeting will be fully remote. We will have a business meeting and discuss repeater updates and operations. Hope to see you there.
Join us online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09
Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611
One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv
The September 27 Waltham ARA meeting will be fully remote. Eliot, W1MJ, will give a technical presentation about the design of his “fox” – an automated transmitter used in hidden transmitter hunts.
Join us online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09
Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611
One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv
